New Beginnings
by LostFan4life
Summary: REWRITTEN. He was going to fix this, he was going to win her back. Post Something Nice Back Home. Jack must convince Kate they are meant to be before it's too late. New Chapter up 01/03/11!
1. Chapter 1

Moving On

All he could do was sit there, sit and wait for time to rewind, for the past to be erased. No matter how long he sat there, though, he knew it would never go away. He wished that he could take back every hurtful word he had said to her that night. It had been a week since their fight, and all he could do was sit and drink his sorrows away. It didn't matter anymore, it didn't matter if he lived or died. The only thing that had ever mattered in his life was now gone, so what was the point of trying. Their conversation from that night haunted him; he could remember every detail, every word that had been spoken.

"_I'm the one who came back I'm the one who is here. I'm the one who saved you."_

"_Jack…you can't…you can't do this. If you have problems, you need to figure them out…okay, because I can't have you like this around my son."_

"_Your son… you're not even related to him!"_

So many things he wished that he could take back. He had made so many mistakes in his life, but this had to be the worst. He had lost the only woman he had ever truly loved. He had lost her and he knew that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it right again.

He brought the glass to his lips, just another sip of vodka. Vodka seemed to be the only thing that could comfort him these days. There were days where he would spend all day drinking. No matter how hard he tried, he could not make the pain subside.

He had to believe that time would heal his wounds, that it would be better in time. He just wondered if he would ever be able to move on, he there would ever be another _Kate._ How could he move on when they were meant to be together? She was his other half, his soul mate, his reason for living. He knew he had to get her back. He knew exactly what he had to do and no matter how long it took him, he would win her back.

This was not going to be easy. Nothing ever was. He knew going to rehab was the best thing he could do for himself…for Kate. The doctor had told him that if he wanted to get better, he would have to stay for at least six months. Six months. That was a long time to be away from her, but if he didn't go, he may never get to see her again.

After many hours of debating, he finally agreed to the terms. For the first three months, he would not be allowed any visitors. After the first three months, he would be allowed day trips as long as he didn't go anywhere near alcohol. This was going to be hard for him, but he knew if he thought of her, he could do it.

Jack decided not to tell Kate that he was entering a rehab program. He figured he would surprise her in six months when he was back on his feet. He would fix everything, but first he was going to fix himself.

The past week had been a blur for her. She was not really living…just going through the motions, trying to stay strong for Aaron. She refused to let him see her cry again. He had been so upset the night she and Jack broke up. He continued to ask her what was wrong, or where did Jack go. She felt her heart break over and over again every time he asked. She usually ended up saying that Jack had gone back to live at his house or he was on vacation or something. She hated lying to him, but he would never understand the truth. How could see tell him that he would no longer be able to see Jack? The young boy had grown to love Jack. Even before they were together, Jack had always treated Aaron like a son.

His words haunted her every night.

"_Your son…You're not ever related to him!"_

He was right. Aaron was not her son, but she was the only mother he had ever known. Claire had left him alone in the jungle and Kate had taken it upon herself to take care of the boy. Kate knew that Jack had a hard time with this arrangement and it didn't help things when they found out that Claire was Jack's half-sister. This had bothered Jack for a long time, but he finally was able to work past it and give their relationship a chance. Kate thought he was over it, or at least okay with it, but judging by the way he spoke to her that night…she thought wrong.

She knew that his father had a drinking problem, but she never thought Jack would have the same problem. Sure that had a few drinks together every now and then. Special night, romantic dinners, parties, but Kate never saw a problem with it. As much as she wanted him to come back, she knew that she couldn't have him around Aaron like that. He needed help and until he got it, they couldn't be together. Kate knew he wouldn't get help. Doctors never make good patients, especially in situations like these. Whatever was wrong with him, he was going to have to work through it. She couldn't allow him to bring her down, not this time, not anymore.

She knew what she had to do. Moving on would be hard, not only for her, but also for Aaron. In time she would learn to love again. It would take a while, she knew in her heart she would never completely get over him. How could she? Jack was her soul mate, her one true love, her other half, but sometimes even that couldn't make things right. If it were another time or place, maybe they could have made it work, but there was just too much they couldn't fix. They were broken beyond repair.

Author's note: I know this chapter was short, but don't worry the will get longer. Thanks to everyone who read the original version of this story. I decided to rewrite it because I felt like I could do so much more with it and make it much better. Please review and let me know what you think.

I don't own Lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Two months

It had been two months since she had seen him, two months since she had talk to him, two months since she had been happy. She wondered how long she was going to feel like this. More than anything she wanted to pick up her phone and call him, but she knew she couldn't. She had to move on; she couldn't let him bring her down anymore.

Kate decided that she would take Aaron to the park. Not only would he enjoy being outside, it would also get her mind off of Jack.

Jack.

Her mind always seemed to flash back to him. It didn't seem to matter what else was going on around her, she was always thinking about Jack. She wondered what he was doing, if he was okay, if he had moved on and found someone else. She knew she shouldn't be concerned about any of this because he made his choice and even though it killed her, she had to find some way to let him go.

"Jack! Jack!" Aaron squealed he had caught a glimpse of a tall man that looked similar to Jack, but he wasn't Jack.

"Aaron, sweetheart, come back!" Kate shouted as she ran towards him.

"Jack, I've missed you so much!" Aaron exclaimed as he hugged the man's leg, holding on as tight as he could.

"Aaron, that is not Jack," Kate sighed as she finally caught up to him. "I'm so sorry about all of this, he thought you were- Kate began to say, but the handsome stranger cut her off.

"Jack?" the man finished for her.

"Yeah, Jack," she said as she smiled back at the stranger.

"I'm Kevin," the man said greeting Kate with a friendly handshake.

"Kate," she replied. "And this is my son, Aaron, he's three."

"It's nice to meet you, Aaron," Kevin said as he bent down to see the young boy face to face.

"Momma, where is daddy Jack?" Aaron said as he turned away from Kevin, he always hated meet new people.

"I don't know, baby," Kate told him, hoping that he would stop asking her that question all the time.

As hard as the break up had been for her, it was even harder on Aaron. He was still asking her about Jack. Most of the time he wanted to know why Jack wasn't there to read him a bedtime story anymore. She wondered how Aaron would feel once she decided to start dating again, would he be okay with having another man in his life, or would he continue to ask her about Jack. Aaron had considered Jack a father; he would even call him daddy. In the beginning of their relationship, Kate had asked Aaron to call him Jack, but once he moved in with them, she knew there was no way she could continue to do this. Kate decided to have him call Jack Daddy Jack. Aaron liked this name, so he had no problem calling him that. Once they were married she would allow Aaron to call him Jack, but no w it seemed like that was completely out of the picture.

"Your husband?" Kevin asked snapping Kate out of her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She asked not sure exactly what he was talking about.

"Jack…is that your husband?"

"No. No, that's my ex-fiancé," She told him.

The words seemed to cut her like a knife. He should be her husband, they should have the perfect life, but nothing really ever lasts forever.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Kevin apologized for reminding her about Jack. He could see that she was upset at the very mention of his name.

"It's okay. It was months ago, it is really time for me to move on." Kate said as she picked up Aaron and began to stand up.

The two shared a deep conversation for about an hour, as they watched Aaron play on the playground. Kevin seemed to be really sweet, in some ways he reminded her of Jack. They talked about their families, jobs, interest, basically everything about each other. She had learned that he was a police officer, he had no kids, and he had never been married. Kate told him that she worked at a lawyer's office, answering phones, getting coffee, it was all secretary work.

Kate felt like she could talk to this man about anything and everything. He was so easy to talk to, it was just so natural. She knew that she shouldn't feel this way; after all she had only been talking to him for an hour. There was just something about him, and the way he made her feel.

"Well, I better get going. I have to be at work in about an hour." Kevin told her as he stood up from his spot on the bench.

"It was so nice to meet you," Kate said as she reached out to shake his hand.

"Do you think you would want to hang out sometime?" Kevin asked her as he grabbed her hand.

"Like on a date?" She asked him not quite sure if he meant a date or just hanging out as friends.

"It can be a date if you want it to be, but if not it can just be a friend thing," Kevin told her.

"Maybe we could get to know each other and just be friends first," Kate told him with a small smile.

She didn't want t o hurt his feelings, but she wasn't sure that her heart was ready to move on just yet.

"How about I take you and Aaron out to dinner on Friday, would that work?" He asked her, praying that she would agree.

"That sounds great!" She replied, "I will call you later to work out the times and stuff." 

"Great! I can't wait!" He told her as he pulled her into a friendly hug.

Kate was so excited this was going to be her first date since she met Jack and it was the perfect thing to help her move on from him. She could see this becoming more than a friend thing. The truth was that she really liked Kevin; he was a very nice man. He would never be able to replace Jack, but she had to move on, she deserved to be happy again. She wanted to laugh and smile again, even if that meant that she couldn't be with Jack. The most important thing in her life was Aaron, and she had to think of his needs before her own.

Author's note: Thank you, Lost-HarryPotterObsessed, for your review. This is going to be more than a one shot. Please review and let me know what you think, I am always open to suggestions. Next chapter will be up sometime next week. Thank you to everyone who has read this story, you guys mean a lot to me.


	3. Chapter 3

Four months. It had been four months since Kate had gone on her first date with Kevin. She thought that moving on from Jack was going to be so hard, but Kevin seemed to make it easier for her. He was perfect. He sent flowers to her work almost every week, sent her text messages just to tell her he loved her, and he would bring her lunch every Friday afternoon. She couldn't help but to love him. He was so sweet and kind, even Aaron loved him. In fact, Kate couldn't even remember the last time Aaron had asked her about Jack. Everything in her life seemed to be just perfect.

Kevin had moved in a few weeks ago, although Kate was reluctant at first, she finally agreed. To her surprise, she had enjoyed having a man around the house again. She had missed having someone to snuggle with, having someone other than Aaron to cook for; she had missed all the little things about sharing a house with someone. Their relationship went from friends to serious in a matter of a few weeks, most of the time they had a hard time staying away from each other. Kate wondered if the relationship was moving way too fast, but she was already in way too deep.

"Hey Kate," Kevin yelled from the bedroom. It seemed weird to Kate that not that long ago Jack was the one who was calling for her from their bedroom. She couldn't believe that she was thinking about him. No matter how hard she tried to forget him, she couldn't.

"Yes," She replied as she made her way into the bedroom. It seemed so different without him. All of Kevin's things were neatly placed where Jack's had been. It was almost as if he had never existed.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner tonight, just the two of us." Kevin told her, he loved to go on dates with her, so it was not unexpected that he would ask.

"I don't have a babysitter for Aaron," She told him, normally she would just ask Hannah, Aaron's regular babysitter, but she was out of town.

"Don't worry, I asked my mom if she could watch him," Kevin told her, as he placed a small peck on her lips.

"Are you sure she doesn't mind? He can be quite a handful." Kate asked him.

"She raised four boys, she can handle him." Kevin told her as he let out a small laugh.

"I know, it just worries me because Aaron isn't use to your mom." Kate said as she let out a small sigh, Aaron hated strangers, he had only met Kevin's mom one time, so she would be a stranger to him.

"He is going to have to get use to her, because they are going to be spending lots of time together soon." Kevin told her as a confused look appeared on her face.

"Kevin, what are you talking about?" She asked him, now completely curious as to what was going on.

"You and I are going on a trip this weekend." Kevin informed her. He had been planning this trip for a few months and nothing was going to mess it up.

"Really? And where do you think you are taking me?" She asked him as a big smile spread across her face.

"I was thinking about the beach. We could take long romantic strolls along the beach and watch the sunset." Kevin answered her, trying hard not to give too much away.

"I don't know, Kevin." Kate told him, "I really hate leaving Aaron."

"He will be fine. You can call him anytime you want." Kevin reassured her as he pulled her into a hug.

"Okay, I guess that will work." Kate replied, this was going to be really hard for her, but somehow she would make it work. Aaron had always gone on vacations with her, even when she went somewhere with Jack. Jack would have never made Aaron stay behind, never. But Kevin was no Jack, and as hard as it may be for her she had to accept that and move on.

"Great! We are leaving in the morning." Kevin informed her with a smile.

"Well, I guess I better go pack Aaron's stuff and my suitcase." Kate said as she made her way down the hall towards Aaron's room.

Six months. Jack had spent six months in rehab. It had been a long hard road, but he was finally finished. Every time he wanted to give up, he thought of her. He thought of Kate. She was his everything, and he couldn't wait to see her again. He was planning on go to see her next week, he figured it was best to get back into his daily routine before he went to see her.

He wondered how see was doing. It had almost been seven months since her had seen her. He still remembered that night, it replayed in his head over and over again. He wished he could take it all back, everything he had ever said or done to hurt her. He knew there was no going back, so he was going to have to win her back, but he had no idea how hard that was really going to be.

Author's note: Thank you guys for all the comments! You guys mean so much to me! I know that this chapter is really short, but I wanted to post something tonight because I will probably not be able to post any chapter for any story for a week or so. Please review and let me know what you think, I would love to hear some suggestions, so if you have any don't be afraid to throw them out! Thanks so much for reading! I will try really hard to post sometime next week, but you may have to wait until the next week.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you ready, Kate?" Kevin asked her, as he stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. This was a big night for them. It was the beginning of their future.

"Okay, I'm ready," She told him as she stepped out of their hotel bathroom. This was their first night at the beach and Kate was already missing Aaron like crazy.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked her as he noticed her sad smile. He had only known her for seven months, but he could already tell when she was upset.

"I just miss Aaron, that's all." She replied as a small tear rolled down her cheek. She had never been away from him for this long. The longest she had ever been away from him was eight hours and that was only because she had to work. It had been ten hours since she had seen him, and it was killing her.

"I know, but he is fine." Kevin tried to reassure her. He knew that Aaron was in good hands, after all she had raised him and he had turned out well.

"You're right," Kate told him as she wiped the tear from her face. "This is silly, I am worrying for nothing." She knew that she had to get use to this because soon Aaron would be going to school and having play dates and sleepovers with all of his friends.

"We will call my mom when we get back and check on him." Kevin told her as he reached for the car keys on top of the nightstand.

"Alright, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving!" Kate said changing the subject, the truth was she didn't want to think about Aaron because she knew she would just start crying again.

"Okay, here we go!" Kevin exclaimed as he opened the hotel room door for her. He couldn't wait to surprise her tonight at dinner.

He had been planning this surprise for months, he knew he should wait until they had been together for awhile, but the truth was he just couldn't wait.

They had been living together for weeks and they already seemed to function like a family. Kevin would take Aaron to daycare in the mornings on his way to work, and Kate would pick him up on her way home. They would eat family dinners together and even watch movies and play games together. So Kevin knew in his heart that this was right, it may be too soon, but it was definitely right.

After about thirty minutes of silent time, they arrived at the restaurant. They had both been lost in their own little world. Kevin was thinking about his big surprise, and Kate was thinking about how much she missed Aaron.

"Are you ready?" Kevin asked her as he snapped her out of her thoughts. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked while she was thinking; he could have watched her all night.

"What?" Kate said as she shook her head. "Oh, yes, I'm ready." She said with a smile to reassure him that she was okay.

They made their way up the sidewalk towards the restaurant. It was a fancy place and Kate was sure it came with a hefty price tag.

Once they were inside, the hostess showed them to their table. It had a lovely view of the ocean. Kate secretly hated the ocean. It always made her think of Jack. She remembered all the times back on the island where they would sit out and stare at the ocean. She missed him so much, it hurt he deep down to think about him. After staring out at the ocean for a few minutes, she finally decided that she shouldn't look at it for the rest of dinner. She didn't want to be thinking of Jack while she was on a date with Kevin.

The restaurant wasn't too busy, so it didn't take very long for their food to show up. As they ate they started talking about how things were going, work, and even Aaron. After they had finished eating, they continued to chat, it was easy for Kevin to lose track of time when he was with her. He finally remembered that he had a very important question to ask her and he couldn't wait much longer.

"Do you love me?" Kevin asked her suddenly changing the subject.

"Of course. Why would you ask me that?" Kate questioned him, she wondered if she had done something to make him think otherwise.

"I just want to make sure we were on the same page." He said as let out a nervous laugh.

"Kevin, what's going on?" Kate questioned him, knowing that something wasn't quite right.

"I know that this relationship is going fast, but I love you so much. I want to spend every minute of every day with you. You make me the happiest man in the world, maybe even the universe. When I am with you and Aaron, I feel like I can do anything." Kevin told her as he got out of her chair and got on his knees in front of her. "Kate, will you make me the luckiest guy in the world and marry me?"

Kate was in complete shock, she knew that their relationship was on the fast track towards this, but she didn't think that this would happen this soon. She loved Kevin, there was no denying that fact, but was she ready to marry him. They were already living together, and to strangers they would seem like a family.

She knew what was keeping her from saying yes. It was him. Jack. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to let him go. He was always going to be a part of her life, but that part was over and there was no way to fix it. It was like a vase that had been shattered, you could glue it back together, but it was never the same. It was time, time to move on, time to let herself be happy again. Jack may have been many things, but he was not selfish, he would have wanted her to move on and be happy.

"Are you sure? It's all so soon. I…we…really?" She was speechless, she wanted to say so many things but the words just wouldn't come out.

"Yes…I…Yes." It was the only thing she could get to come out of her mouth.

Taking a deep breath, she tried it again, but it came out very slowly. "Yes, Kevin, I will marry you."

Author's note: So I found a little free time in my day, so I decided to update. I will try really hard to update this week, but I really don't have a lot of free time because things are crazy right now. I know that this chapter wasn't too long, but at least it was a chapter. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, they mean a lot to me. I am actually going to use some of the ideas that you guys had, so please feel free to give me some more suggestions. Let me know what you think is going to happen next!

Next chapter preview: Jack comes back into the story and drama starts to stir up!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week since Kevin had asked her to marry him. She couldn't believe it, she was getting married and it wasn't to Jack. To be completely honest she wasn't all that shock about the proposal. Sure it had been a whirlwind romance and maybe it was all too fast, but she felt safe with Kevin. He reminded her of the old Jack. He was sweet, kind, loving, and he would do anything to protect her. She knew in her heart he would never be Jack, but then again Jack would never be Jack again. She felt like she had no choice, no matter what she did the old Jack was never coming back.

Telling Aaron had been hard. He seemed to be so upset that Kate and Kevin were getting married. She knew he was too young to understand, but it hurt her that he didn't seem to approve. He asked her why she wasn't marrying Jack. She didn't know how to respond to that question. She didn't want to make Jack look bad, but the truth was that Jack had a lot of problems and she just couldn't have Aaron around him. She ended up telling him that Jack would always be a part of their lives, but sometimes two people are not meant to be together. He seemed to accept that, but she knew that he was still upset.

Now it seemed that she just had to convince herself that she was making the right decision. She knew that Jack, imperfect as he may be, was her soul mate, the person she loved more than life itself. But how could she be with him when he was drunk? It reminded her of the times when her father would come home drunk and beat her mother. The thought made her sick. She knew in her heart that Jack would never do that, but she just couldn't risk it.

"Mommy, when are we going to dinner?" Aaron asked her, snapping her out of her thoughts. He must have been really hungry because this was the fifth time he had asked.

"As soon as Kevin gets home, sweetie," She told him as she walked over and picked him up off the floor.

"I'm so hungry," Aaron told her as he pointed to his stomach. "There is a monster in there!" He squealed. Every time his stomach would growl he would say that there was a monster in there. It had been something that Jack had always told him.

"A monster?" Kate giggled, "Why do you have a monster in there?" She knew what he would say, but she always loved to hear him say it.

"Because I'm hungry," He told her, "he needs to eat and then he will go away."

"How about I fix you a small snack while we wait for Kevin?" Kate asked him, she hoped that Kevin would be home soon because she was really hungry too.

"Okay, I want cheese and crackers!" He shouted as he hopped out of his mother's arms. Cheese and crackers were Aaron's favorite snack. If she would have allowed it, Aaron would have had cheese and crackers for every meal.

Kate began to follow the young boy towards the kitchen, when she heard the front door open. She was relieved that he was finally home; he had to be at least an hour late. It was the price she paid for being engaged to a cop.

"Kate! Aaron!" Kevin shouted as he walked through the door. It had been a long day and he was ready to relax with his new family.

"Hey," Kate said as she made her way over to him. "How was your day?" She pulled him into a hug, she loved the way he made her feel safe.

"It was good," Kevin answered, "It was full of paperwork." Sometimes he wondered why he had decided to become a cop, but he knew that he loved it, except for the paperwork.

"Sounds fun," Kate joked, "Are you ready to go to dinner?" She was already dressed in a short black dress with her matching black heels.

"Just let me change my clothes and we can go," he told her, "I don't think it will make the waitress feel comfortable if I wear my police uniform."

"Okay," Kate said as she let out a giggle. "Aaron and I will meet you in the car."

"I will be down in a few minutes." He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek. He knew that he was the luckiest man alive. He was about to have the perfect little family with Kate.

After five minutes of trying to pick out the perfect shirt, Kevin finally decided on a dark blue button up shirt. It was Kate's favorite, she told him every time he wore it. He loved seeing her smile and he would do anything to make her smile.

He still couldn't believe that she had said yes. Their romance had been a whirlwind, but he knew that she was the one. He had never felt this way about anyone before. Just to look at her made him go weak in the knees; he lost his breath every time she touched him. She was perfect in every way and he intended to show her that for the rest of his life.

They spent the whole car ride talking about the day. It was so easy for Kate to talk to Kevin, it was so natural. They always got along; they had never gotten into a fight. Kevin trusted her; he never questioned her about anything. She wished she could say the same about Jack, but he didn't trust her. She had never really given him a reason to trust her, but she wished that he would've just trusted her. If he had trusted her then they would still be together. She would be marrying him instead of Kevin. They were never meant to be happy together, two broken souls, broken beyond repair. They couldn't fix each other, not this time. Kate wondered why Jack was always on her mind, it had been seven months, and yet he was still on her mind all the time. Perhaps these feelings would never go away. She was going to have to push them out of her mind, for Kevin and for Aaron.

It had been a long day for Jack. He had performed two major surgeries back to back. It had been close, but both patients made it through and were expected to make a full recovery. As he rummaged through the fridge, he realized that he had nothing to eat. It looked like he was going to have to go out and eat something.

After debating for a few minutes he decided to go to an old favorite 'The Oceanside Café'. He remembered taking Kate to it several times. She always loved sitting by the window looking out at the ocean. It made him sad that she wouldn't be dining with him tonight, but he knew that she would be again soon enough. He made his way into the restaurant and followed the waitress over to his usual table next to the window.

"He we are, The Oceanside Café," Kevin announced as he pulled into the first parking spot he could find.

This place brought back so many memories for Kate. She remembered all the times she and Aaron would eat here with Jack. They always sat at the same table, next to the window, so they could look at the Pacific Ocean.

"Kate?" Kevin said pulling her from her thought. "Are you okay?" He asked her when she didn't respond.

"What? Oh, yeah…yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all." She replied as she faked a smile for him.

"Well let's go in and get something to eat, because if we don't I think that Aaron's monster is going to get us." Kevin chuckled as he helped Kate out of the car.

"My monster is going to get you, Mommy!"Aaron exclaimed as she helped him out of his car seat.

"Oh really," She replied as she started to tickle him. "Not if I get it first!" Aaron squealed as she continued to tickle his stomach. "Let's go get you some food," She told him, setting him on the ground and grabbing his small hand. She had no idea that tonight was going to turn her world upside down… once again.

Author's note: Cliffhanger! I will try to have the next chapter up this weekend, but I make no promises. Please review and let me know what you think. I would love some feedback and you can also tell me what you think I should do to make it better. I am writing this story for you guys, so please let me know what you want to happen and maybe it will. Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys rock! I would love to hear what you guys think will happen in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Author's note: Wow, you guys really surprised me with all the reviews. I had no idea that so many of you were still into my stories! I would like to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support that you have given me. I have decided to continue writing, but I might not update very often. My goal is to update at least once a week, but definitely once a month. I am dedicating this chapter to all of you guys. I hope that you are having a fantastic 2011! Anyway, once again thank you for supporting me.

Now onto the chapter!

"We have reservations under Callis," Kevin told the young hostess.

"The only table that we have left right now is a window table. Will that be okay?" She asked him politely.

Kevin looked over at Kate, who gave him a slight nod, assuring him that she was fine with it.

"That is fine," Kevin told the woman, as she gathered the menus and led them to their table.

Looking around the restaurant, Kate could see many different people. She saw several different families ranging from elderly couples to young married couples. Everyone was with someone, except one lonely guy who sat at the window. Kate couldn't tell who it was because his back was facing her, but she could swear that it was Jack. It was probably just wishful thinking, or maybe her imagination was just running wild again. It wasn't until the man stood up to leave, that Kate realized that it wasn't just wishful thinking or her imagination, it was Jack, her Jack.

"Jack?" Kate got up out of her seat and made her way over to him before he had a chance to leave.

Kevin noticed what was going on, but decided to let things play out. He figured it was best not to get involved, at least until Kate needed him.

"Kate, what are you doing here?" Jack asked surprised. He figured that her visits to The Oceanside Café had ended since their break up.

"I'm here…" Kate tried to figure out how to explain her current situation. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Jack, but she knew she couldn't keep the truth from him.

"I'm here…"Kate started again, only to be interrupted by a squealing Aaron.

"Daddy Jack!" Aaron screamed, running over towards Jack. The young boy leaped into Jack's arms, giving him a big hug around the neck.

"I've missed you so much, daddy!" Aaron told Jack, giving him another hug around the neck. "Are you coming home?" The young child asked, his innocent eyes staring up at Jack's.

"I don't think so, buddy," Jack answered, a sad smile played on his lips. "You and mommy are living on your own for awhile, remember?"

"We aren't living alone, daddy. Kevin is living with us, too." Aaron told Jack before Kate had a chance to stop him.

Jack felt his heart drop. He knew that Kate had probably moved on, but he had no idea that she was already living with another man. He thought that she would be taking things slow for her shake or at least for Aaron's.

"I was going to tell you, but I couldn't bring myself to call you," Kate told him as she noticed the look on his face.

She had never intended to hurt him. In fact, she had never intended to move on, but she and Kevin had just clicked. She knew in her heart that the reason they had clicked was because Kevin reminded her of the old Jack and Kate wanted to hold on to that piece of her life. She knew that Jack would never be the same because no matter how hard he tried he tried to ignore it; the Island would always haunt him. She didn't want Aaron to grow up like that; she wanted a better life for him. She wanted to have a normal life, not one that reminded her of her past, but that reminded her of the future she and Aaron deserved. In her heart it would always be Jack, but in her head it had to be Kevin.

"I am so happy for you, Kate," Jack said, trying to muster up a small amount of happiness in his voice. It was very evident that he was not happy, he was anything but happy. He knew that he had messed up, but he had hoped that there was a chance to fix it, a chance to win her back.

"How long have you two been together?" Jack asked as he snapped out of his thoughts and tried to get over the shock of it all.

"We met about a month after you and I broke up." Kate answered. She tried her best to keep a smile on her face and act like everything was okay, but it was so hard when she knew that he was in pain.

"You guys are living together? That is a big step…I mean, I'm happy for you, but I guess I am just a little shocked." Jack fumbled to get the words out without sounding mean or judgmental.

"Actually, we are engaged." Kate told him, showing him the diamond ring on her left hand.

"En..engaged," Jack stuttered, trying to wrap his mind around this new information. "Congratulations, Kate."

"I know that it probably seems way too soon, but it feels right," Kate said. She looked down at the ring on her had, trying desperately to avoid looking at Jack's face. She knew that he was hurt and she couldn't bring herself to look at the pain she had caused him.

"As long as you are happy, that is all that matters," Jack replied, hoping that she could see how hurt he really was. It wasn't her fault. He had messed up everything and now she was just trying to move on and live her life.

"I am, Jack. I really am." Kate answered, but the words felt foreign on her lips. It felt like she was lying to him and in some ways she was. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him and that she always would, but for his shake she remained quite. She loved him, but she had to let him go.

"I've got to go back to the hospital. I guess I will see you soon." Jack said handing Aaron to Kate and hurrying out of the restaurant.

He wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come, only the pain. He knew that there was only one way to numb this pain, or at least come close to numbing it and he would do just about anything to make it stop.

Kate picked up Aaron and made her way back to their table. Kevin remained in a cheerful mood and tried to keep the conversation light, but Kate knew that he was curious about what had just happened. They enjoyed the rest of their dinner before heading back home.

…..

After twenty minutes off driving, Jack's Jeep found itself in front of a small bar along the outskirts of the city. He remembered the days when he used to visit here after work. It had been the place where he could hang with the guys and blow off some steam when life seemed bad. He knew that this was the last place he should be visiting, but he didn't care anymore. He had spent six months getting himself cleaning up for her and now she was marrying some other man. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing mattered without her.

Jack finally decided it was time to go home after two hours of non stop drinking. It didn't seem to matter how many drinks he had, the pain never seemed to go away. He paid the bill and then stumbled his way out to his Jeep. He knew better than to drive drunk, but he didn't care anymore. What was the point of living, if he couldn't have Kate?

…

Kate was sound asleep when the phone began to ring. It took her a few seconds to figure out what she was doing, but she finally found the phone and answered it just in time.

"Hello?" She answered still half asleep.

"Is the Katherine Austin?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, this is she," Kate answered.

"This is Dr. Johnson at St Sebastian's hospital. I am sorry to tell you that your friend Dr. Jack Shephard has been in a very bad car accident."

Kate felt the whole room began to spin as she dropped the phone from her face. Her Jack had been in an accident and from the sound of things, it didn't look good.

…..

Author's note: Please review and let me know what you think! : ) I hope that this chapter makes sense. I feel like I kind of hurried through it because I really wanted to update for you guys. Once again, thank you for all the kind words of encouragement, it really means a lot to me. I am planning on continuing all of my stories, so please watch out for them. : )


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